Why breaking old industry norms takes more than technical skill in STEM, with Sophia Kurianski (founder of Jinolo)
MULTIPLE HATS: STEM Careers | Reinvention | Entrepreneurship |Thought LeadershipShow Notes
🎙️From Uni to CEO: How Mechatronic Engineer Sophia Kurianski Took on Decades-Old Industry Norms with Jinolo Challenging outdated 3D design processes straight out of university, Sophia Kurianski turned frustration into a startup—and built Jinolo from the ground up
🔍 What You’ll Learn: How questioning outdated systems can spark breakthrough ideas How to validate a product idea before writing a line of code What building a tech startup as a solo founder really looks like Why grants and customer discovery are key early tools How STEMM professionals can reframe failure in sales as growth
🧠 About the Guest: Sophia Kurianski is a mechatronic engineer and the founder of Jinolo, a 3D collaboration platform transforming how technical and non-technical teams work together. Straight out of university, Sophia rejected “the way things have always been done” and built a startup that now serves over 500 customers. In this episode, she shares how problem-solving, lean execution, and persistence powered her entrepreneurial leap.
📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 Welcome to Multiple Hats 00:29 Meet Sophia Kurianski: Founder of Jinolo 00:37 The problem with legacy 3D design workflows 01:21 Bridging technical and non-technical collaboration 03:34 Engineering roots and early work experience 13:01 How Jinolo started: the first iteration 19:26 Building a minimum viable product 22:30 Getting feedback + iterating 27:40 Customer discovery & early sales strategies 34:37 Launching solo: founder mindset 40:07 Hiring contractors and scaling 46:34 Technical scalability vs customer onboarding 55:00 Funding the startup & managing cash flow 58:58 Personal growth through selling 01:06:57 Final reflections + future vision
🔗 Resources Mentioned: Visit Jinolo Sophia Kurianski on LinkedIn
🤔 Reflection Time: What processes around you feel outdated? Could your discomfort with “how it’s always been done” be the clue to your next move? How might your STEMM background position you to create a better way?
Hey, I hope you have enjoyed this interview and the career twists! While you listen, can you see the pattern - Founders tend to go get their destiny and create their own luck. And so can you! Creating your own luck has a lot to do with how you put yourself out there and speak about what you want to do. Send me a message if you want to start being at the right place, at the right time and make your own stars align. visit my website angelique.greco.com.au or send me a message on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/angelique-greco
Want to craft a career story that opens doors? I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you. 📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn
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